I just inadvertently purchased an EVO Lite+ from Autelpilot.com. Should I be worried?

[bkushner]

Long story short...Bought from from Autelpilot, thought they were official Autel since they are using the log etc. Drone came and is a disaster. Autel not providing any support. Wanted to return..this is where the RUNAROUND begins...They keep ignoring that you want to return and want to know why, keep telling you it will be fixed by firmware...Finally they gave me a US address to return to. Others had to ship to China at their own expense. I sent the drone back and after a week or so I filed a complaint with Paypal since I wasn't refunded. 20 days later the company sends me an email and said I sent back an empty box. I had the UPS receipt that shows the box weighed 7lbs. Finally Paypal ruled against them and refunded the drone. Will probably never by Autel again...I always heard they had great support. Month later no response to support requests. They did finally respond today to tell me they have a very short support staff and very busy. Glad the experience is over.

 

[Saladshooter]

Here is the feedback I left for autel_shop after they didn't deliver my product. I did not know that they were associated with Autelpilot.com and was purchasing on price:

 

[bkushner]

II just want to report that I received my new EVO Lite+ drone today. It was perfect and The box was sealed. I had no problem upgrading the firmware and activating AutelCare. I tested it for a short flight and so far so good. I'm very happy with it.

So your gimbal doesn't wander?

 

[Steverino]

So your gimbal doesn't wander?

I haven't noticed that yet but at one point, it did seem my gimbal was slightly turned to the left. What exactly does it do when it wanders? Does it move on it's on or just not point straight ahead?

 

[Steverino]

Long story short...Bought from from Autelpilot, thought they were official Autel since they are using the log etc. Drone came and is a disaster. Autel not providing any support. Wanted to return..this is where the RUNAROUND begins...They keep ignoring that you want to return and want to know why, keep telling you it will be fixed by firmware...Finally they gave me a US address to return to. Others had to ship to China at their own expense. I sent the drone back and after a week or so I filed a complaint with Paypal since I wasn't refunded. 20 days later the company sends me an email and said I sent back an empty box. I had the UPS receipt that shows the box weighed 7lbs. Finally Paypal ruled against them and refunded the drone. Will probably never by Autel again...I always heard they had great support. Month later no response to support requests. They did finally respond today to tell me they have a very short support staff and very busy. Glad the experience is over.

I'm not sure the lack of support has anything to do with the fact that you purchased it from autelpilot.com since it seems there is currently a total lack of support from Autel Robotics regardless of where you purchased the drone. I've been trying to get Autel support to reply to my emails for the past two months and their support seems to non-existent. I've been hoping this is a temporary situation but I'm beginning to wonder. In fact, I was about to jump to DJI but when I saw this EVO Lite+ for just $1,300, I decided to take my chances. Not because I was buying from autelpilot.com because I didn't know "Autel_Shop" on eBay was actually autelpilot.com until after I ordered it. It was because I was afraid to invest in another Autel drone because the of the current lack of support and the possibility that if they can't provide any future support and if so, they might not be able to continue in the drone business. None of us want to invest money in an orphaned drone that not only can't get support but also can't get firmware updates and repairs, etc.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

I'm not sure the lack of support has anything to do with the fact that you purchased it from autelpilot.com since it seems there is currently a total lack of support from Autel Robotics regardless of where you purchased the drone. I've been trying to get Autel support to reply to my emails for the past two months and their support seems to non-existent. I've been hoping this is a temporary situation but I'm beginning to wonder. In fact, I was about to jump to DJI but when I saw this EVO Lite+ for just $1,300, I decided to take my chances. Not because I was buying from autelpilot.com because I didn't know "Autel_Shop" on eBay was actually autelpilot.com until after I ordered it. It was because I was afraid to invest in another Autel drone because the of the current lack of support and the possibility that if they can't provide any future support and if so, they might not be able to continue in the drone business. None of us want to invest money in an orphaned drone that not only can't get support but also can't get firmware updates and repairs, etc.

well, the good news is if the company goes out of business, the drones don't shut off...or do they? will the sky app continue to work? even so, it's unlikely they would sudden go away. gopro has been rumored to go out of business for years yet people continue to buy their equipment in droves. future technical support is certainly a thing, but in today's environment i would say it is slightly overrated. ANY company can get hit for ANY reason so the customer should understand the risks and proceed accordingly.

 

[Steverino]

well, the good news is if the company goes out of business, the drones don't shut off...or do they? will the sky app continue to work? even so, it's unlikely they would sudden go away. gopro has been rumored to go out of business for years yet people continue to buy their equipment in droves. future technical support is certainly a thing, but in today's environment i would say it is slightly overrated. ANY company can get hit for ANY reason so the customer should understand the risks and proceed accordingly.

But, what happens if you need a repair? What if you need to purchase a battery or props or replace the controller? What if there is a problem with the firmware and update fixes are no longer available. When you buy a drone and pay over $1,000 for it, you are not just investing in the drone, you are investing in the company. The drone will be useless if it can't be repaired.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

But, what happens if you need a repair? What if you need to purchase a battery or props or replace the controller? What if there is a problem with the firmware and update fixes are no longer available. When you buy a drone and pay over $1,000 for it, you are not just investing in the drone, you are investing in the company. The drone will be useless if it can't be repaired.

the market usually responds but it might be a little slow. someone will open an "autel" repair shop if there's a market for it. but as i said, autel won't just close up and go away instantly. they have legal obligations which is probably beyond the scope of this discussion.

again, the risks. if you feel a company might leave you high and dry, maybe $1000 should be $750. if you're like me and would simply move on because i believe the risks are low and go away over time and i don't care if there is a fire at the factory and they don't rebuild, for me $1200 might be ok. my motto with anything is don't pay for something which you can't watch it evaporate. obviously this type of individual thinking may not apply to businesses and organizations that highly depend on their product. or, public safety who need extensive support and certain guarantees and maybe should be looking into contracts. for consumers, look into insurance. this is not all about drones.

 

[bkushner]

I haven't noticed that yet but at one point, it did seem my gimbal was slightly turned to the left. What exactly does it do when it wanders? Does it move on it's on or just not point straight ahead?

You can start the drone on the ground and look at your monitor and see it moving slightly left or right. Timelapse and long exposure are unusable.

 

[Steverino]

I asked Autel about autelpilot.com and about my warranty and I've attached a screenshot of their reply.

 

[Detritalgeo]

So it is best to confirm the seller is from an authorized channel before purchase. Good to hear AutelPilot.com is an authorized channel but perhaps have dishonest sales tactics. I did AliExpress 'official store' and the warranty was valid.

 

[bkushner]

I'm not sure the lack of support has anything to do with the fact that you purchased it from autelpilot.com since it seems there is currently a total lack of support from Autel Robotics regardless of where you purchased the drone. I've been trying to get Autel support to reply to my emails for the past two months and their support seems to non-existent. I've been hoping this is a temporary situation but I'm beginning to wonder. In fact, I was about to jump to DJI but when I saw this EVO Lite+ for just $1,300, I decided to take my chances. Not because I was buying from autelpilot.com because I didn't know "Autel_Shop" on eBay was actually autelpilot.com until after I ordered it. It was because I was afraid to invest in another Autel drone because the of the current lack of support and the possibility that if they can't provide any future support and if so, they might not be able to continue in the drone business. None of us want to invest money in an orphaned drone that not only can't get support but also can't get firmware updates and repairs, etc.

I never said the lack of support anything to do with autelpilot. The lack of support is why I had to battle AP to return my drone.

 

[fred14432]

What are the potential problems I might have with a drone purchased from Autelpilot.com?

Do they not ship a drone that has been ordered and paid for? Do they sell counterfeit drones? Does the official Autel Robotics site not warranty or repair or activate AutelCare on the drones they sell?

 

[fred14432]

I ordered a smart controller in April of 2021.
After waiting 6 weeks I began emailing them - over 20 emails and over 1 year later and they have neiter shipped the controller or refunded my money. Stay Away - Far, Far Away

 

[Steverino]

Update: I received the drone and everything was perfect. Unfortunately, the drone crashed into water and sank to the bottom of the river but Autel Care replaced it without any problem. I realize others have had issues, especially with getting their orders in a timely manner but I have had no problems with autelpilot.com and I have purchased both the Lite+ and the Nano+ from them.

 

[kenautelevo2pro]

Update: I received the drone and everything was perfect. Unfortunately, the drone crashed into water and sank to the bottom of the river but Autel Care replaced it without any problem. I realize others have had issues, especially with getting their orders in a timely manner but I have had no problems with autelpilot.com and I have purchased both the Lite+ and the Nano+ from them.

did you fish out your drone to return it to autel for care replacement or is that drone still at the bottom of the river?

 

[Steverino]

did you fish out your drone to return it to autel for care replacement or is that drone still at the bottom of the river?

I tried repeatedly for 10 days to retrieve it but finally gave up. But I did see it with my underwater drone. But, it was 8 to 10 feet underwater and I was about 10 ft above the water on a railroad trestle. Even though I spotted it with the underwater drone, I could not tell exactly where it was. All I knew was it was It was within 15 or 20 radius of me. I tried using a grappling hook with a rope and a long extension pole but just couldn't get it.

 

[airheadbit]

I thought I purchased the EVO Lite+ from Autel just to find out it came from Autelpilot, which is a listed distributor of Autel Robotics. I now have four different accounts at Autel Robotics; Store, Forum, SDK, and when my Lite+ gets here the APP login. I also have a login to Autelpilot store and another to this forum.
I was surfing the net looking at the Autel Lite+ when I came across a technical document error, I sent the correction to CS and was invited to purchase the premium bundle with a Prime Day like discount, I did. Waiting on Autelpilot, UPS contacted me the day I paid with the tracking info, it is half way here (Idaho) already.

 

[Felix the Cat]

I used the Autel Pilot store - orders are sent direct to manufacturer in China, HQ then sends out a shipping order to your closest Autel warehouse and they ship the drone from their domestic stock. This is how I bought my Nano+ and I had absolutely no problem with them. In fact: when my bird blew a motor, it was the U.K. based warehouse that immediately authorized a replacement. Autel Customer Service just ran me round in circles insisting over and over that I send my drone to Germany for a repair when I didn't want one because the drone was less than 3 months old - they really wouldn't give me the option of replacement for faulty item. Autelpilot.co.uk gets a VERY big "THANK YOU" from me for honouring my statutory rights and getting my replacement Nano+ Premium Bundle to my door in good time.

 

[kyokushinkai]

I've read about some bad experiences others here have had with Autelpilot.com. I purchased this drone from an eBay seller named Autel_Shop with a 99.1% positive feedback rating withover 1700 transactions who claims to be an authorized Autel seller. With that feedback rating and the fact that they take returns within 30 days, I felt pretty confident they would come through for me. But when I googled the shipper's address and saw that it was the same address that is associated with Autelpilot.com, I got worried.

I placed the order Wednesday night and last night I sent them an email asking for the tracking number and they provided one. However, the UPS tracking number says that UPS has not yet received the shipment. I tend to suspect I will receive the drone but I worry about It being authentic and if it will be warrantied through the official Autel Robotics company. I intend to purchase Autel Care and I'm worried it will qualify for that. It is new and sealed in the box, so they say.

I would ask Autel Robotics support about them but I can't get them to answer my emails, which is why I purchased from a different seller. I'd love to hear what others here feel about this.

Who knows, +86 is China. You can't get service or support here in the USA maybe China will be more efficient but I would doubt it. Dealt with Autel for past three years and they never answer calls, respond timely (months) and still waiting on a refund that is covered under their 1 day return policy. China is China, BEWARE